Shock-absorbing mechanism.



J. F. OCONNOR.

SHOCK ABSORBING MECHANISM,

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 23.1911.

Patented Jan. 7, 1919.

mmvrok. Jalznit'flfiluwr BY AT RNEY J. F. OCONNOR. SHOCK ABSORBING MECHANISM APPLICA'HDN HLEI) MAR.23,19|7.

Patented Jan. I. 1919.

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WITNESSES: flaw cms iseet qn a n1), STATES PATENT OFFICE.

r. o coiruon, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, asszcmon To WILLIAM H. MINER, or

. OHAZY, NEW YORK.

SHOCK-ABSQRBING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 7, 1919.

To all whom tt 'may concern: it

*Be it kh'ownthat 1, JOHN F. OCONNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illi'noisyhitve invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Shock Absorbing Mechanism, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawinfi, forming a part of this specification.

y invention relates to improvements in shock absorbing mechanism.

The object of III invention is to provide a simpleand efiicient shock absorbing'mechanism and onem'ore particularly adapted for railway drafflriggings.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1" is a side elevation, partly ,in ve'rtical longitudinal section, of a craft ri fging "embodying my invention. Fig. Qisa' horizontal section, taken on the line2' 2 o'fFig. 1. In Figs; 1 and the parts are shown in normal position. F g. 3 is a' liori zontal section showing the posltion of the parts-in full'compression in buffing movement. ,Fig. i is a cross section, taken online of Fig.1, Fig. 5 is a perspective vievyof oneof the wedges, and Fig. 6 a perspective view of one of the friction shoes. 7 Referring the drawings, the numeral 19 indicatlsdra tlinenrbers, as for instance, center sil E ,fhein \the'parts of the car underfra'ruefftq which the draft rigging 1s applied; the front stop members apropriate securedjto the draft members, as or ins ,the rivets 12; 1313 the real 'l l lfimh rs similarly secured, as for instanc by the rivets 12 to the draft members. A draw bar-is indicated at 14 and to this is attached byany suitable means, as forinstancathe rivets 15, and, yoke 16. A draft, gear J17, ,isnnounted between the draft members ahdine des the shell 18, which 1 n preferabie cpn ,ction, is rectangular in jrly hown injEig. 4 of the id. hieliel e e QPQB sa es! ca s:1 Mounted.tq cilr i he sheik-an .;.e eP. kafi i g the fr m Mounted within the shell are two sets of friction. plates 2121 and arranged on either side thereof. Between the said sets of plates are mounted the central friction elements 22. Each set of friction plates comprises a plurality of preferably fiat members, alternately arranged, the alternate lates at one end projecting forwardlyand emg engaged to the front follower, as indicated at 23-23, the other alternate plates projecting rearwardly and being engaged to the rear follower, as indicated at-2424. Front and rear keys 25 and 26, respectively, suitably spaced apart, are mounted within the casin 17 extending transversely thereof and enter at their ends the slots 2727 provided within the casing. The said keys also Sass through elongated slots 2828 provi ed in the friction plates 21.

As will be hereinafter described, the said friction plates have a sliding action upon each other and upon the shell, means for compressing'them against each 'other being found in the central friction elements 22. The central friction elements com rise the friction shoes 2929, each having ront and rear internal wedging faces 30 and 31, respectively, and outer friction faces 32 adapted each to engage against an adjacent friction plate. The said friction shoes are both forwardly and rearwardly provided with the transverse slots 33 for the passage, respectively, of the front and rear .keys 25 and 26.

The front and rear. wedges 34 and 35. respectively, are rovided each with the wedging faces 36 a apted to engage against the adjacent, wedging faces of the friction shoes. Each of the wedges 34 and is provided with a transverseslot 37, the slot in the wedge 34 accommodating the key 25 and the slot in the wedge 35 ccommodating the key 26. The slots 37 within the wedges are N This, for convenience, we ma designate the frontinternal follower, and a rear internal follower "41 is associated with the head of the rear wedge 35 and is preferably integral therewith. Springs 42 are mounted between the front internal follower and the front follower 19, and springs 43 are mounted between the rear internal follower 41 and the rear follower 20. The front and rear fol lowers are each provided with the laterally extended'wings 44 adapted to pass througi slots 45 in the friction plates, in order to connect the friction plates with the followers, and at their ends the said followers are adapted to engage the stops in a manner that will be readily understand.

The draft gear is supported upon the sills by means of the carrier-plates 4646, which are preferably removably secured to the sills or draft members by meansyof the bolts 47-47.

On rearward movement of the draw, bar, the front follower drives the friction plates, with which it is associated, rearwardly and compresses the front spring 42, the front spring acting against the front wedge 34, the. said wedge riding rearwardly upon the front key 25 and forcing the friction shoes 29 outwardly, the said shoes in their lateral outward movement sliding upon the keys 25 and 26 and being also wedged against by the rear wedge 35, the rearward movement of which is resisted by the rear springs 43, the said rear springs being held against rearward movement by the rear follower 20, the said rear follower being stopped by the rear stop members 13.

As the front friction plates move rearwardly they slide between the alternately arranged friction plates which are secured to the rear follower and stopped thereby, and frictional action in each set of plates is afforded through the outward pressure of the friction shoes 29 which press the plates betweenthem and the adjacent sides ofthe shell 18.

Upon full rearward movement of the parts, they assume .the relative positions illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The shell, which may also move longitudinally on full buffing movement, engages the rear follower, and the front follower will come into en agement with the front end of the shell.

n forward movement of the draw bar, the operation of the parts is substantially the same, the yoke drawing the rear follower forwardly, the rear springs, under compression between the rear follower and the rear wedge, forcing the rear wedge forwardly. and this action together with the spreading action of the front wedge, which is resisted by the front springs seated against the front follower, spreads the friction shoes and the relatively" longitudinally moving friction plates are pressed between the friction shoes and the shell in the same manner as in buffing actionof the gear.

It will be observed that the keys 25 and 26, being mounted within the shell and associated with the springs, serve, with the springs, to return the floating friction shell to its normal position.

I claim:

1. In a shock absorbing mechanism, in combination: a shell; alternately arranged, overlapped friction plates within the shell; friction elements including wedging means disposed midway of the length of the shell and between the overlapped portions of said plates; keys mounted within the shell; the said friction elements being provided with actuating means and being mounted upon said keys.

*2. In a shock absorbing mechanism, a combination: a shell; followers associated therewith; friction plates within the shell, each scured to one of said followers and having a sliding action on each other; keys mounted in the shell; friction elements adapted to press the friction plates between them and the shell; means to transmit motion from the followers to the friction elements, the said friction elements being slidably mounted upon the keys.

3. In a shock absorbin mechanism, in combination: a shell; fol owers associated therewith; friction plates within the shell, each plate being secured to a follower; friction shoes and wedging members therefor associated with the plates; and a spring mounted between each of said Wedging members and the adjacent follower to which the friction plates are secured:

4. In a shock absorbing mechanism, in combination: a shell; 8. set of friction plates within the shell and on either side thereof; friction elements mounted between the said sets of plates; keys mounted within the shell and supporting the said friction elements therein; followers at either end of the shell; and means interposed between thefollowers and the friction elements whereby the friction elements may be spread to press the fi iction plates between them and the shell.

5. In a shock absorbing mechanism, in combination: a shell; followers associated with said shell; friction plates mounted within the shell; each of said plates being secured to a follower; friction elements assoeluted with said plates; keys mounted within the shell; springs interposed between the followers and the friction elements, said friction elements comprising wedging members slidably mounted upon said keys and adapted to compress t e friction plates against each other.

(i. In a shock absorbing mechanism, in combination: a shell; a plurality of sets of friction plates mounted t erein; friction elements mounted between said sets of plates,

front and rear followers associatedwith said shellkeys mounted within the shell and rigidlyqsecured thereto; sprlnbetween the followers and the friction e ements; each of the friction platesbeing secured to a follower; the friction elements comprising shoes and wedging members therefor; the

shoes being slidably mounted upon the keys; and the wedging members being actuated by the springs.

7. In a shock absorbing mechanism, in combination: a shell. a plurality of sets of friction plates mounted within the shell; spreading members adapted to compress said plates mounted between the sets thereof; followers at either cnd of the shell; springs seated between the followers and the spreading members; keys supporting the spreading members. the said keys being rigidly secured to the shell.

8. In a shock absorbing mechanism in combination: a shell; keys mounted within the shell and rigidly secured thereto; followers associated with said shell; friction plates alternately secured to said followers and slidingly ssbciated with said keys;

friction members to compress the friction plates; and means mounted between the friction members and the followers to impart the movement of the followers to said friction means.

9. In a draft rigging for railway cars, in combination: draft members; stop members associated therewith; a draft gear; a draw bar; means for connecting the draft gear to the draw bar; the draft gear includinga shell slidingly mounted between the draft members; followers associated with said shell: keys transversely arranged in the shell; friction plates connected to the followers; friction members adapted to compress the friction plates togethe' and against the shell: springs mounted between the friction elements and the followers; the friction ele' ments comprising shoes engaging the friction plates; and wedges adapted to spread said shoes.

10. In a draft rigging for railway cars, in combination: draft members a draft gear mounted between said members: stop members for the gear associated with the draft members; followers associated with the draft gear; tlr'e draft gear including a shell; friction plates therein; friction members adapted to compress said plates into frictional engagement with each other; the said followers actuating the friction plates directly and actuating the friction members by spring means associated therewith.

11. In a draft rigging for railway cars, in combination: draft members; a draft gear mounted between said members; followers associated with said draft gear; the draft gear including a shell; alternately arranged friction plates connected to the followers and within said shell; friction members adapted to impinge said plates against. the shell; and means for returning the parts to their normal position, said means in cluding springs associated with the followers; and keys rigidly connected to the shell.

12. In a draft rigging in combination: a shell; front and rear followers associated therewith; friction plates extended from each of said followers and having sliding action on each other; friction elements mounted within the shell and adapted. to hold said' plates in frictional engagement with each other; means associated with the followers for actuating the friction clemcnts; the said shell being spaced apart from the said followers in normal position of the gear.

13. In a draft rigging for railway cars, in combination: a shell; followers associated therewith; alternately arranged friction plates mounted within the shell, each being extended from one of the followers; friction elements associated with said friction plates to compress the same into engagement with each other; members rigidly connected with the shell; springs mounted between the friction elements and the followers; the shell being spaced from the followers in normal position; the said springs being adapted to act against said rigid connecting means to return the shell to normal position.

14. In a friction shock absorbing mechanism the combination with a shell of two sets of friction plates one set being extended beyond one end of the shell and the other set beyond the other end of the shell the plates of one set being alternated with the plates of the other set and overlapping within the shell, means for preventing movement of one set of plates relativcly to the shell in one direction from normal, means for preventing movement of the other set of plates relatively to the shell in the opposite direction from normal devices for creat ing lateral pressure exerted against the overlapped portions of the sets of plates, means associated with each set of plates for net iating the latter relatively to the shell and springs interposed between said means and said devices.

In witness ti at I claim the foregoing I have hereunto su )scribed my name this 20th day of Man, 1917.

JOHN F. OCONNOR. 

